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    They Call Us Monsters

    Poster of the movie They Call Us Monsters
    2016     Documentary    
    USA
    1h 24min

    California, juveniles between the ages of 14 and 17 can be tried as adults for violent crimes. Behind the walls of The Compound, they await their trials -- and the accompanying adult sentencing. Juan, Jarad, and Antonio are three such inmates. To their advocates, they're kids. To the system, they're adults. To their victims, they're monsters. Who are they to you?

    With unprecedented access to the juvenile facility, Ben Lear's evocative and daring debut documentary allows audiences to get to know these young men through a screenwriting workshop in which they collectively fictionalize their lives and dreams. Lear delves into the lives of the victims of violent crimes committed by juveniles and follows legislative debates around bill SB260, which gives children a so-called second chance by allowing them parole eligibility after 35 years.

    Directed byBenjamin Lear

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